Skylab - launched May 14, 1973, part of the Apollo Space Program Skylab (1973) Skylab was the first US space station, it was launched into a 435 km (270 miles) altitude orbit on May 14, 1973 as part of the Apollo program. This 91 ton, 36 meters (4-story) high, 6.7 meters in diameter structure carried three different Apollo crews manned Skylab during its 9 month mission conducting medical experiments, solar observations and detailed Earth resources mapping experiments. Skylab spacecraft reentered the atmosphere on July 11, 1979 scattering debris over the Indian Ocean and the sparsely settled region of Western Australia. Skylab included eight separate solar experiments; two X-ray telescopes, an X-ray and extreme ultraviolet camera, an ultraviolet spectroheliometer, an extreme ultraviolet spectroheliograph and an ultraviolet spectroheliograph, a white light coronagraph and two hydrogen-alpha telescopes.

Resources Experiments Package S190-B (5" focal length camera) Skylab Image of the Baltimore - Washington Corridor, with Landsat 1 (ERTS 1) Classification Holt County Nebraska, Agriculture Skylab: First U.S. Space Station Skylab: First U.S. Space Station By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | February 1, 2013 06:40pm ET MORE The Skylab Orbital Workshop experienced a failure that led to a replacement shield to protect against solar heating. Credit: NASA. Skylab was the first space station operated by the United States. It spent six years orbiting Earth until its decaying orbit caused it to re-enter the atmosphere. It scattered debris over the Indian Ocean and sparsely settled areas of Western Australia. Three crews successfully lived on board the station for several months each. The last crew spent 84 days in orbit — an American record that stood until the shuttle era. [ Photos: Skylab, the 1st U.S. Space Station ] Rocky start Various NASA centers had kicked around ideas for a space station for years before Skylab launched.

However, the agency was very focused on the space race and moonshots that dominated public consciousness in the 1960s. Money for other endeavors was not as available. As Apollo began to wind down in the early 1970s, NASA began an Apollo Applications Program to fly unused hardware from the moon program. One idea, proposed by famous Apollo rocket engineer Wernher von Braun , would be to build a space station out of an unused rocket stage. The design evolved over the years as NASA struggled with reduced funding. Skylab finally aimed for space on May 14, 1973. However, a meteoroid shield that was supposed to shelter Skylab accidentally opened about 63 seconds into the launch. The still-thick atmosphere tore the shield off, plunging Skylab into a serious situation. The facility experienced communications problems with the antenna as a result of the incident, but that was the least of the agency's worries. "When the meteoroid shield ripped loose, it disturbed the mounting of workshop solar array wing No. 2 and caused it to partially deploy. The exhaust plume of the second stage retro-rockets impacted the partially deployed solar array and literally blew it into space," NASA wrote.

Workers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center scrambled to stabilize the station. Among other measures, they put the station in an attitude that would minimize overheating, and came up with ways to cope with the station's reduced power situation. Meanwhile, the first crew – led by Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad – would need to make the station habitable before they could get to work. The crew's first challenge during the spacewalk, just hours after launch, was deploying the solar array, but initial attempts met with no luck as a metal strip holding it down refused to give way. Crew members emerged from an expected communications blackout in a foul mood, according to an official NASA account of the mission. "The astronauts were venting their frustration with four-letter words, while Houston repeatedly tried to remind them that communication had resumed," NASA wrote. Realizing the tools they had with them that day would not work, Conrad abandoned the exercise and focused on trying to dock his spacecraft with the station. Unfortunately, the docking mechanism failed and the crew had to depressurize the spacecraft and bypass electrical connections to achieve it. In subsequent days, Conrad's crew erected a sun shade , successfully deployed the stuck array, and began operational work aboard the station.

While the incident was frustrating for the teams involved, it also demonstrated that it was possible to fix a badly damaged space station while it is in orbit. Cutaway view of Skylab Skylab Space Station Tweet on Twitter Skylab was the first US space station and the world’s first big space station. It was launched on May 14th, 1973 by a Saturn V Rocket. Skylab Space Station was assembled from Saturn V and Apollo components. Skylab’s purpose was to serve as a laborarory for scientific experiments in space until February 1974. An Apollo Spacecraft was used to transport the crew to Skylab and to return them to the Earth’s surface. It was a launched on a Saturn 1B rocket. Skylab was used to study: – the Sun. – microgravity research – learn more about Earth. – to test the effects of long-duration space flights and to see how the human body reacts in space – to helped us learn to live and work in space. – to conduct a variety of scientific and technological experiments, such as metallic-crystal growth in the weightless state. – and function as a laboratory in earth orbit.

Skylab Specifications: Structure Weight: 91 metric ton (100-ton) Height: 36 metres (118 feet) Diamater: 6.7 metres (22 feet) Altitude of Orbit: 435km (270 miles) Orbital Mass: 77,088kg Habitable Volume: 283 cubic metres (10,000 cubic feet) Skylab Space Station was a modified third stage of a Saturn V moon rocket. Skylab was actually the refitted S-IVB second stage of a Saturn IB booster (from the AS-212 vehicle), a leftover from the Apollo program originally intended for one of the canceled Apollo earth orbital missions. A product of the Apollo Applications program (a program tasked with finding long-term uses for Apollo program hardware). Skylab consisted of five parts: Orbital Workshop was the living and working area for the crew. Airlock Module was used by the Astronauts to access the outside of Skylab for spacewalks. Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) was attached to one end of the cylindrical workshop. It was used to study our sun, stars and earth with no atmospheric interference.

Multiple Docking Adapter allowed more than one Apollo spacecraft to dock to the station at once. The Saturn Instrument Unit (IU) was used by NASA teams in Huntsville to reprogram the space station using a massive ring of computers. The unit was used to guide Skylab itself into orbit. IU also controlled the jettisoning of the protective payload shroud and activated the onboard life support systems, started the solar inertial attitude maneuver, deployed the Apollo Telescope mount at a 90-degree angle and deployed Skylab’s solar wings. SKYLAB FLIGHTS Skylab orbited Earth 2,476 times during the 171 days and 13 hours of its occupation during the three manned Skylab missions. Astronauts performed ten spacewalks totalling 42 hours 16 minutes. Skylab 1 – May 14, 1973 Unmanned A two-stage version of the Saturn V rocket launched Skylab to orbit on May 14, 1973 from the NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida. During the launch, the station was damaged.

A critical meteoroid shield and one of the station’s two main solar panels were ripped off and the other solar panel was not fully stretched out. That meant that Skylab had little electrical power and the internal temperature rose to 126 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius). Originally it was planned that a crew would be launched from Earth the next day to inhabit the space station. Sixty-three seconds after liftoff, however, a critical meteoroid shield ripped off, taking one of the craft’s two solar panels with it and preventing the other from deploying properly. Ground command maneuvered Skylab so its solar panels faced the Sun to provide as much electricity as possible. But because the meteoroid shield was gone (which also operated as a sun shield), temperatures inside the workshop rose to 126˚F (52˚C). The launch of Skylab 2 (the first crew to inhabit the space station) was postponed for 10 days while scientists, engineers, astronauts and management personnel at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and elsewhere developed procedures and trained the crew to make the workshop habitable. At the same time, engineers “rolled” Skylab to lower the temperature of the workshop.

Almost immediately, technical problems developed due to vibrations during lift-off. A critical meteoroid shield ripped off taking one of the craft’s two solar panels with it; a piece of the shield wrapped around the other panel keeping it from deploying. Skylab was maneuvered so its Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) solar panels faced the Sun to provide as much electricity as possible. Because of the loss of the meteoroid shield, however, this positioning caused workshop temperatures to rise to 52 degrees Celsius (126 degrees F). The launch of Skylab 2 was postponed while NASA engineers, in an intensive 10-day period, developed procedures and trained the crew to make the workshop habitable. At the same time, engineers “rolled” Skylab to lower the temperature of the workshop. On the first launch, part of Skylab fell off. It tore one solar panel. It wrapped around the other panel so it could not open. The crew was supposed to go up the next day. They had to wait until a way to solve these problems was found. They flew to Skylab 11 days later. The first thing they had to do was fix the problems.

Skylab 2 Skylab 2 was launched on May 25, 1973 and landed on June 22, 1973. The mission duration was 28 days, 50 minutes. This was the first manned mission to Skylab. They orbited the Earth 404 times, completed 392 experiment hours, and carried out three spacewalks totalling six hours, 20 minutes. The first Skylab crew were: – Charles C. Conrad Jr. – Paul J. Weitz – Joseph P. Kerwin The first task was to make repairs. These included positioning of a parasol sunshade that cooled the inside temperatures to a more comfortable 75˚F (23.8˚C). By June 4, 10 days after launch, the workshop was fully operational, and the crew began to conduct solar astronomy and Earth resources experiments, medical studies, and student experiments. In the period up to June 22, when the crew left for home. Skylab was damaged during launch on May 25, 1973, but the crew, veteran astronaut Conrad (Commander), Joseph P.

Kerwin, and Paul J. Weitz, all of the navy, carried out EVA repairs, erected a heat-shielding canopy over the exterior of the spacecraft and freed a jammed solar panel. Their flight lasted 28 days. INSTALLED SOLAR SHIELD “PARASOL” FROM SCIENTIFIC AIRLOCK RELEASED SOLAR ARRAY WING ON EVA DOUBLED PREVIOUS LENGTH OF TIME IN SPACE The first crew was launched 10 days later to fix the ailing station. The astronauts stretched out the remaining solar panel and set up an umbrella-like sunshade to cool the station. Joe Kerwin was on the first Skylab crew. He said that the first 2 weeks on the station were very hard. They did not have enough power to run things. They didn’t even have enough power to make coffee! The crew had to change their plans until everything was fixed. Once the power was running, the crew could start the real work on Skylab. Skylab 3 Skylab 3 was launched on July 28, 1973 and landed on September 25, 1973. This was the second Skyab maned mission.

The mission duration was 59 days, 11 hours. The crew completed 858 Earth orbits and 1,081 hours of solar and Earth experiments and carried out three spacewalks totalling 13 hours, 43 minutes. The second crew were: – Jack R. Lousma – Owen K. Garriott After an early bout of motion sickness, they continued the work of the previous crew. Garriott and Lousma deployed a second sun shield during a spacewalk that lasted six and a half hours. The second crew also had a problem. On the way up, Jack Lousma looked out the window. He thought he saw a nozzle floating by. It wasn’t. It was a piece of ice. That ice showed there was a problem. There was a leak in the engine. Once the crew was on the station, another engine started leaking. People on the ground were afraid that the crew might not be able to come home. A rescue mission was planned. Two astronauts would fly to Skylab to bring the crew back home. But, they didn’t have to go. The capsule that took the crew to Skylab was able to bring them home safely.

Installed twinpole solar shield durng space walk, performed major inflight maintenace, doubled prvious length of time in space. Skylab 4 Skylab 4 was lauched on November 16, 1973 and landed on February 8, 1974. This was the final mamed mission to Skylab. The mission duration was 84 days, 1 hour. At 84 days and 1 hour, Skylab 4 remains the longest U.S. spaceflight to date. The crew completed 1,214 Earth orbits and four spacewalks totalling 22 hours, 13 minutes. Increased previous length in space by 50%. The last skylab crew were: – Gerald P. Carr – William R. Pogue – Edward G. Gibson The crew used a treadmill in addition to the on-board bicycle-like ergometer to help stay in shape. The last of the Skylab missions, its experiments. They observed and photgraphed Comet Kohoutek. The Skylab project was considered completely successful.

More than 740 hr were spent in observing the sun by telescopes, and 175,000 solar pictures were returned to earth, as were about 64 km (about 40 mi) of electronic data tape and 46,000 photographs of the earth’s surface. On July 11, 1979, during its 34,981st orbit, Skylab plunged to earth, raining fiery debris over sparsely populated western Australia and over the Indian Ocean. during the three manned Skylab missions. When the flight of the third crew was finished, Skylab was abandoned. Skylab remained aloft until intense solar flare activity caused its orbit to decay sooner than expected. Skylab re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere and burned over Australia in 1979. Following the last mission the Station was positioned in a parking orbit expected to last at least 8 years. Increased solar activity heating the outer layers of the earth’s atmosphere and thereby increasing drag on the Station led to an early reentry on July 11, 1979.

Skylab disintegrated over Western Australia and the Indian Ocean, casting large pieces of debris in populated areas (fortunately, the only casualty being an Australian cow). The reentry prevented any further use by the then unfinished Space Shuttle as was envisioned by some at NASA. After all crew activities had been completed and the crews had returned to Earth, Skylab was positioned into a stable attitude and systems were shut down. It was expected that Skylab would remain in orbit for eight to ten years. However, in the fall of 1977, Skylab was no longer flying in a stable attitude as a result of greater than predicted solar activity. On July 11, 1979, the empty Skylab spacecraft returned to Earth, scattering debris from the south-eastern Indian Ocean across a sparsely settled region of western Australia. NASA and the U.S. space program were criticized for allowing this to happen-ranging from the sale of hardhats as “Skylab Survival Kits” to serious questions about the propriety of space flight altogether if people were likely to be killed by falling debris. It was an inauspicious ending to the first American space station, not one that its originators had envisioned.

Nevertheless, the experiment had whetted the appetite of NASA leaders for a permanent presence in space On the 11th July, 1979, Skylab re-entered the Earth’s atmoshpere and scattered debris over the Indian Ocean and the sparsely settled region of Western Australia. Conclusion Three crews visited Skylab. Each of the Skylab crews set new time records. The last crew set a record that was not broken for over 20 years. Did you know? * Two flight-quality Skylabs were built. The second (backup) is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, USA. * Skylab was launched in one launch and required no assembly. The International Space Station (ISS) will take many years to put together in orbit. * Skylab was the first and only United States Space Station to date. The ISS involves many countries. A POST-APOLLO PROGRAM In 1969 a Space Task Group recommended to President Richard Nixon a space program to follow the missions to the Moon. The plan included a permanently occupied space station, a reusable shuttle spacecraft, and eventual missions to Mars. But because of increasing budget pressures these ideas received little political or public support.

Only the Space Shuttle won favor and funding, and even that decision was controversial. When the last two Apollo missions were cancelled, NASA used some of the remaining Apollo hardware for an experimental space station, Skylab, as an interim program before the Shuttle was ready to fly. Although the STS-107 spiders were the first Australian animals in space, they weren’t the first spiders in space. Anita and Arabella, two female cross spiders (Araneus diadematus) went into orbit in 1973 for Skylab 3 space station. Like the STS-107 experiment, the Skylab experiment was a student project. Judy Miles, from Lexington, Massachusetts, wanted to know if spiders could spin webs in near-weightlessness. Here is Judith Miles: In zero gravity, a lot of things tumble, roll, flip and tip. Can you name something that spins in zero-gravity? Hint: it has eight legs and would scare Miss Muffet. That’s right: a spider. In this case, two of them. Anita and Arabella took off into space way back in 1973. They were on board Skylab, an early, experimental orbiting space station.

Also on board were 720 fruit flies, six mice, two minnows and 50 minnow eggs! Busy place. What was this creature-zoo up to? They were all part of student experiments. Anita and Arabella were onboard for high school student Judy Miles from Lexington, Massachusetts. Judy wondered if spiders could spin webs in weightlessness. Good question. So, the lucky student got to team up with NASA space scientists to design an experiment that would measure how well spiders weave their webs in space. So what did Judy and NASA learn? Zero gravity didn’t stop Anita and Arabella from doing what spiders do — spin webs. This little bit of first spider in space Spiders have been astronauts in space missions. In 1973, the two common cross spiders “aranous diadematus” Arabella and Anita became famous for their stay in the Skylab space station. Both spiders were successful in spinning webs in weightlessness; examples can be seen in above images. Unfortunately, these two spiders did not return safely: Anita died in-flight before returning, and Arabella was found dead after splash-down of the Skylab-3 (2nd manned mission) Apollo CM. Arabella and Anita have the right stuff.

These two common spiders were NASA’s first eight-legged astronauts! Anita and Arabella got their mission because a high-school student named Judy Miles wondered if spiders could spin webs in a weightless environment. She suggested sending spiders into space to find out. NASA space scientists liked her proposal and went to work designing special cages, lights, and cameras. On August 5, 1973, Arabella and Anita blasted off into space on Skylab II. On her first day in orbit, Arabella didn’t do well. She spun sloppy webs and obviously felt the effects of weightlessness. However, by her third day in space, she was spinning just as though she were back at home. Her webs were finer in space, which was expected. But the pattern remained the same. She proved that spiders can spin nearly Earth-like webs in space. Though Arabella and Anita have both died, their bodies remain at the Smithsonian, memorialized for their small, vital part in increasing our knowledge of space. Skylab Links: Marianne J. Dyson | History of Space Stations Contact The History of Space Stations Author Note: this chapter was originally written for Space Station Science , but was cut to make room for more photos and activities.

I've posted it here for people interested in the history of space stations. I'd like to thank NASA space station scientist Dr. Jack Bacon, and Skylab astronaut Dr. Joseph Kerwin for their help in reviewing the original chapter for technical accuracy. Golden Kite Award Winner For more details on space station history, check out my history reference book, Space and Astronmy: Decade by Decade at a library near you. Building on What we Know The Soviet Union launched the world's first space station, Salyut 1, on April 19, 1971. Since then, we have learned a lot about living in space. Many of the procedures and systems on the current space station reflect this history. The first space station crew, Nikolai Rukavishnikov, Vladimir Shatalov, and Alexei Yelisyev, arrived at the Salyut 1 three days after its launch. But they couldn't get in. Something was wrong with the hatch. Running low on supplies, they had to leave after 6 hours. [Ref. 1] You can be sure that later hatch designs were easier to open.

The second crew, Georgi Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev, got in okay and stayed for 24 days. They were the first people to spend that long in space. But on June 30, 1971, tragedy struck. The ground team sent to greet the returning heroes opened the hatch of their spaceship to a terrible sight. The three men were dead. A valve had opened by mistake in space and let all the air out of the ship. With no space suits to provide air, the cosmonauts died before reaching the ground. [Ref. 2] Now, all cosmonauts wear suits for launch and landing. The world's second space station, Salyut 2, launched in April of 1973. It had been in space less than two weeks when the engine exploded. The space station tumbled out of control and crashed to Earth in May. Luckily, there were no cosmonauts onboard. The next space station was a secret one called Cosmos 557. Its main job was to provide spy photos of the ground as it flew overhead. But before a crew got there, it too went out of control.

It burned up in May of 1973. [Ref. 1] The Soviets then designed more reliable engines. That same month, the United States launched its first space station. This was Skylab, an orbital workshop for three people. To save money, the Americans used leftover Apollo boosters, called Saturn V's, for their space station. The Saturn V's were gigantic, so Skylab ended up three and a half times bigger than a Salyut. [Ref. 3] Skylab's first crew, Charles Conrad, Joseph Kerwin, and Paul Weitz, showed the value of having human problem-solvers in orbit. During a rough ride to orbit (the crew rode up separately), Skylab was damaged. It was short of power and unable to get rid of its heat. Unless the crew could fix things quickly, the space station was doomed. A NASA technician with a reputation as a 'fix-it' man, started thumbing through the yellow pages. He found what he was looking for — fishing poles that would telescope down to 18 inches. Using the poles as ribs, NASA engineers designed a collapsible nylon umbrella to shade the station from the sun. The crew took it with them when they launched a few days later.

Like a parasol out a car window, they popped it out an 8x8 inch scientific airlock. [Ref. 4] The station was then cool enough to function. Further demonstrating the importance of having humans on the job, they did a spacewalk to free a solar array to restore power. Skylab was fixed. [Ref. 5] The next crew (July - August 1973) set a record of 58 days in space -- the first time the United States had a crew in space longer than the Soviets. One of the astronauts was Alan Bean, the first person to both walk on the Moon and live on a space station. The other crew members were Owen Garriott and Jack Lousma. The third crew of Skylab (Carr, Gibson, Pogue) were in orbit and away from their families for 84 days. (Count 84 days back on your calendar. If you had been in space, what holidays would you have celebrated there?) A mission this long was a new challenge for the ground team as well as the crew.

For example, Skylab crews brought back 175,000 pictures of the sun and about 40 miles (64 km) of electronic data tape to process. [Ref. 3] The current space station uses real-time computerized data sets and digital cameras whose images can be automatically processed by the space station control center. Also, astronauts returning from these long missions were too weak to stand, let alone escape if there had been a landing emergency. As a result, exercise equipment became a requirement of all long space missions. The United States abandoned Skylab in February 1974. There simply was no way to get there. (The last Apollo ship was used for the Apollo-Soyuz mission and the space shuttle was not ready until 1981.) The current space station is reached by space shuttles as well as Russian rockets. The Soviets launched Salyut 3 in June of 1974, Salyut 4 in December 1974, and Salyut 5 in June of 1976. [Ref. 1] Because of the new rule to wear space suits, crews were limited to two men each until a new design in 1979.

They tried to break the American's record of time in space, but technical problems kept them from it until Salyut 6. A limiting factor on time in orbit was how much supplies the crew could bring with them. The Soviets solved this problem by designing Salyut 6 with two docking ports. One was always occupied by their return/escape ship. The other was used for visiting ships. Supplies were unloaded from unmanned cargo ships. Then the rocket was used to 'take out the trash,' solving another problem of long missions. Sometimes the extra port was used for manned ships. The first visitor to a space station was Vladimir Remek of Czechoslovakia who visited Salyut 6 in 1978. [Ref. 6] Salyut 7, launched in 1982, had lots of problems. The radios broke, the power failed, and the water pipes leaked. The Soviets added new solar panels and chemical batteries and fixed the water pipes. [Ref. 1] However, there was one problem they could not solve. The sun was in a cycle of increased activity. This caused the Earth's atmosphere to get hotter and expand.

Like steam lifting the lid off of a pan on the stove, the expanding atmosphere ran into Salyut 7. The Soviets boosted it to a higher orbit. But like an old car, it used a lot of fuel. After operating far longer than any previous station, it was abandoned in 1986. It fell to Earth over Argentina in 1991. [Ref. 6] The next space station was called Mir which means 'peace' in Russian. This space station was launched in February 1986. Unlike the Salyuts, it was designed for expansion. New modules were docked and moved to ports using a robot arm. Two modules were added to the Mir core before 1990, and four more by 1996. Improved engines were able to keep this biggest-ever station from being dragged down like the Salyuts. This capability plus continued use of supply ships allowed Mir cosmonauts to become the first humans ever to spend more than a year in orbit. [Ref. 2] After the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia decided not to replace the aging Mir.

Instead they joined the United States, Canada, Japan, and ten European countries as partners in the International Space Station program. Mir became a place to test new station procedures and equipment. In March of 1995, American Dr. Norman Thagard spent 3 months on Mir with two Russian cosmonauts. [Ref. 7] The mixing of cultures had some unexpected results. Doctors decided that Dr. Thagard had lost weight in part because he didn't care for pickled perch, a standard item on the Russian menu. This prompted both countries to add more variety to their menus. The next year, Shannon Lucid set a world duration record (188 days) for women in space, apparently satisfied with space station food. Five more Americans gained valuable experience by living on the Mir between 1996 and 1998. These were John Blaha, Jerry Linenger, Michael Foale, David Wolf, and Andy Thomas. A dangerous fire erupted during Dr. Linenger's flight in February, 1997. The crew donned oxygen masks as the station filled with smoke. They put the fire out without any long-term damage.

Because of shift schedules, NASA wasn't told of the accident until the next day. As a result, ground communications were improved. In June 1997, a Progress supply ship crashed into the Mir. Air rushed out of a hole in the Spektr science module where Michael Foale spent most of his time. The crew cut power cables and sealed the hatch, plunging the station into darkness. Only their quick actions prevented a total loss of the station and an emergency crew return. Weeks later, Foale and Anatoly Solovyev did a space walk to regain power. [Ref. 8] This proved the wisdom of having modular designs. Even though the Spektr module was permanently damaged, the rest of the station kept working. The first piece of the International Space Station - named Zarya for sunrise in Russian - was launched unmanned from Kazakstan in November, 1998. A few weeks later, the crew of space shuttle flight STS-88 arrived to connect the second piece, Unity. However, because of financial woes in Russia, the critical third module, Zvezda (meaning star), was delayed, and then delayed again. The delays cost NASA millions of dollars.

Politicians called the partnership between the U.S. and Russia a mistake. Yet the U.S. did not have a booster powerful enough to keep a large space station in orbit. And Russia couldn't afford to build and maintain a station alone. The partners needed each other. Zvezda finally launched successfully in July of 2000. Several space shuttle flights quickly followed to provide equipment. Then the first Expedition crew rode a Soyuz rocket to their new home, arriving in November, 2000. American Bill Shepard and Russians Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev christened the new station, Alpha, though its official name remained International Space Station. The second Expedition crew, Russian Yuri Usachev, and Americans Jim Voss and Susan Helms, replaced the first crew in March of 2001. Meanwhile, time ran out for Mir. Efforts to raise enough money to maintain it failed. After 15 years in orbit, the abandoned Mir met a fiery end over the Pacific Ocean on March 23, 2001. [Ref. 9] We have certainly learned a lot since the days of Salyut 1. Some of the lessons have been costly and painful.

But we continue to explore because history has taught us we can only achieve if we keep trying. References 1. Space Age, 1993; 2. Interview with Dr. Jack Bacon (NASA-JSC), 3-16-96; 3. "Space Exploration," Microsoft (R) Encarta. c. 1994 Microsoft & Funk & Wagnall's Corp.; 4. 5-30-73 LA Times newspaper; 5. Dr. Joseph Kerwin, phone interview, 6-97; 6. "North Texas Spacecraft," March 16, 1996; 7. "NASA Space News Roundup," NASA JSC, 1995. 8. "NASA Space News Roundup," NASA JSC, June 5, 1998. 9. 3-01. Historic Spacecraft - Skylab Historic Spacecraft America's First Space Station Early Plans (Wet or Dry?) In the 1960's NASA investigated ways to gain further spaceflight experience after the Apollo Lunar missions.

Some plans involved launching a space station, or orbital workshop as it became known, on two-stage, Saturn IB rockets. The hydrogen tank of the Saturn S-IVB stage offered ample room for setting up an orbital workshop. Early plans involved what would be known as the "wet" workshop. Launched full of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, the S-IVB would function normally as the rockets second stage during ascent. Most of the fuel would be consumed as the J-2 engine propelled the stage into orbit. Once safely in orbit, remaining fuel and oxidizer could be vented into space, allowing the hydrogen tank to later be pressurized with a breathable atmosphere and occupied by astronauts. Special fittings would be attached to the walls allowing equipment and experiments to be mounted when astronauts arrived. Floors and walls, formed by an aluminum grid structure, with ample openings so as not to interfere with fuel flow, could be pre-installed in the tank. On top of the S-IVB stage would be a Multiple Docking Adaptor, or MDA. The MDA would have up to five docking ports for Apollo spacecraft or expansion modules. The MDA would contain many pieces of equipment that would be installed within the vented hydrogen tank when astronauts arrived.

Concerns existed about the length of time needed for astronauts, working in zero-g, to unpack large amounts of equipment launched in the MDA, transfer it into the workshop, and install it. In 1969, it became apparent that several Saturn 5 rockets, already purchased, would remain unused after the Apollo Lunar missions. A decision was made to switch the Skylab launch from the smaller Saturn IB rocket to the much more capable Saturn 5 rocket. The greater capacity of the larger rocket meant that the S-IVB stage would not need to function as a rocket stage during launch. The "dry" workshop, as it became known, would be fully equipped on the ground. There was even enough capacity to launch the Apollo Telescope Mount on the same rocket. Earlier plans had the telescope mount launching separately and docking with the workshop. Disaster on Launch Day The Skylab space station was launched on 14 May 1973. Shortly after liftoff, a large micrometeoroid shield, designed to protect the orbital workshop, started to structurally fail. Within seconds, aerodynamic forces stripped the shield completely free from the station.

As the shield tore off, one of two main solar array wings, designed to deploy only in the vacuum of space, partially deployed. Several minutes later, after the second stage finished its burn, retro rockets fired to separate the booster from the station. Exhaust from these retro rockets impacted the partially deployed solar array and ripped it from the station. Once in orbit, more problems soon became apparent. Not only had the micrometeoroid shield and one solar wing been completely torn off, but the opposite array, while still attached to the station, had been tangled in debris and failed to deploy. The situation continued to worsen. The missing micrometeoroid shield exposed the station to higher levels of solar heating then it was designed for. Temperatures in the station rose to 126 deg F (52 deg C). Rescue and Repair Fortunately, the four solar arrays on the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) deployed as planned. This power allowed controllers to operate the station, at least at a minimum level, until repairs could be made. The first Skylab crew, scheduled to lift off the day following Skylab's launch, was delayed while tools and techniques were quickly developed to repair the crippled station.

On 25 May 1973, the first Skylab crew, led by veteran astronaut Charles Conrad, lifted off from Kennedy Space Center. They carried with them several solar shades, designed to shade the orbital workshop, and a variety of cutters and other tools designed to free the jammed solar array. With an internal temperature well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, astronauts could initially spend only short periods of time in the station. On their second day in orbit, the crew was able to deploy a solar shade, known as the 'parasol'. The parasol was deployed through an airlock in the side of the orbital workshop. The 22ft by 24ft parasol, composed of woven nylon, mylar, and aluminum, reflected enough solar energy to lower the internal temperatures to tolerable levels. The first attempt to free the jammed solar array failed. A second attempt, on June 7, successfully released the solar panel. The station now had twice as much power available. Despite the added workload required to repair the station, the crew was able to complete nearly all planned scientific objectives. Size comparison of Skylab and other space stations.

( View Larger Version ) Skylab's Legacy Skylab was ultimately visited by three crews. Each crew, consisting of a commander, a pilot, and a science pilot, was transported to the station using Apollo spacecraft, launched on Saturn IB rockets. Each successive crew stayed longer then the previous mission. Durations of 28 days, 59 days, and 84 days were achieved. On 11 July 1979, Skylab re-entered Earth's atmosphere. Debris from the station fell over the Indian ocean and parts of Australia. Despite nearly catastrophic problems early on, Skylab proved highly successful and completed all of its major objectives. Proving that humans could do productive work for prolonged periods of time while in orbit. Skylab Mission Data Visiting Apollo Spacecraft Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) Designed to support solar observations, the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) housed a number of solar telescopes. The ATM consisted of an octagonal structure 3.4m in diameter, and 4.4m long. Inside was a cylinder, 2.1m in diameter and 3m long.

A cruciform structure, dividing the cylinder into four quadrants, provided mounting points for solar experiments housed within the cylinder. The inner structure was gimbaled, allowing very fine pointing control for the sensitive instruments. When not in use, each instrument was protected by a moveable aperture door. Attached to the ATM were three gyros. Known as control moment gyros (CMG), these units helped stabilize the Skylab station. The ATM also included four solar arrays. The solar arrays proved critical to the success of the space station after one of the main solar panels was ripped away during launch. To fit within the payload shroud during launch, the ATM was initially positioned in-line with the MDA and orbital workshop. Once the shroud was jettisoned, and the station was in orbit, the ATM was rotated 90 degrees to assume its operational position. Solar experiments mounted in the ATM included the following: S-056 X-Ray telescope S-020 X-ray and extreme ultraviolet camera S-055 Ultraviolet Spectroheliometer H-alpha no. 1 Hydrogen-Alpha Telescope H-alpha no.

2 Hydrogen-Alpha Telescope Apollo Telescope Mount Mockup Skylab Apollo Telescope Mount mockup on display at the United States Space and Rocket Center. This hardware was used for training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. (Photos: Kevin Reynolds, 2001) Multiple Docking Adaptor (MDA) The MDA had two docking ports. The axial docking port, located on the end of the MDA, was the primary docking port for Apollo spacecraft. A radial docking port, located on the side of the module, served as a backup. Control panels for the Apollo Telescope Mount, as well as several Earth resource experiments, were located in the MDA. Multiple Docking Adaptor Trainer Skylab Multiple Docking Adaptor on display at the Kennedy Space Center.(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2009) Structural Transition Section (STS) The Structural Transition Section, or STS, connected the Multiple Docking Adaptor and the Airlock Module. Airlock Module (AM) Located between the Multiple Docking Adaptor and the Orbital Workshop, the Airlock Module was designed to support EVAs from the Skylab space station. The module could be sealed off from the rest of the station and depressurized.

A large EVA hatch, based on the hatches used on Gemini spacecraft, was mounted on the side of the module. Each Skylab crew conducted several spacewalks. Objectives included changing film in the ATM, performing maintenance, and conducting experiments. Fixed Airlock Shroud (FAS) The Fixed Airlock Shroud, or FAS, was mounted forward of the Instrument Unit. The Airlock Module passed through the center of the FAS. The space between the FAS outer shell and the Airlock Module contained large, high pressure oxygen tanks, nitrogen tanks, battery banks, and other equipment necessary for the station. Skylab Mockup Skylab mockup on display at the United States Space and Rocket Center. These photos show the Fixed Airlock Shroud area. Part of the Multiple Docking Adaptor can be seen in the foreground. (Photos: Kevin Reynolds, 2001) Saturn Instrument Unit (IU) Part of all Saturn 5 rockets, the Instrument Unit included guidance equipment and computers for all three stages of the rocket. Saturn 5 Instrument Unit Saturn 5 Instrument Unit on display at the United States Space and Rocket Center.

(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2008) Orbital Workshop (OWS) The largest component of the Skylab space station, the Orbital Workshop was built using a Saturn S-IVB rocket stage. The hydrogen fuel tank was outfitted as living quarters and work areas. The liquid oxygen tank was modified to serve as a waste tank. The orbital workshop included laboratory space, a wardroom, a waste management compartment, and private sleeping compartments for the astronauts. Skylab-B (Flight-Rated Backup) Backup Skylab Orbital Laboratory on display at the National Air and Space Museum.(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2008) Parasol and Twin-Pole Sunshield With the micrometeoroid shield stripped away at launch, sun light shined directly on the orbital workshop, resulting in significant temperature increases. Internal temperatures rose to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Several sunshade systems were quickly designed and manufactured to help shade the station. The first sunshade, known as the parasol, was deployed by the first Skylab crew on their second day in orbit. The sunshade was deployed through a scientific airlock on the side of the orbital workshop.

The 22ft by 24ft parasol, composed of a woven nylon, mylar, and aluminum, reflected enough solar energy to lower the internal temperatures to tolerable levels. Another sunshade was deployed by the second Skylab crew. The twin-pole sunshield was assembled during a six hour spacewalk. The sunshield was supported by two long poles connected to a mounting bracket attached to the ATM structure. Each 55 foot long pole was composed of eleven, five foot long, interlocking pole sections. A 22ft x 24ft thermal shield, composed of painted aluminized mylar and woven orange nylon, was unfurled and stretched over the exposed area of the orbital workshop. Lines attached to the thermal shield were pulled taut and tied to outriggers on the ATM. Solar Array System (SAS) The Skylab orbital workshop was built with a pair of large solar arrays. The solar "wings" were designed to be folded against the side of the orbital workshop during launch. Once in orbit, the wings were to be deployed. Shortly after liftoff, a micrometeoroid shield tore away from the station, resulting in significant damage to several systems.

One solar wing was torn completely from the station. The other wing, jammed by debris, failed to deploy completely. Thanks to heroic efforts by the first Skylab crew, the remaining solar wing was successfully deployed. Skylab Solar Array Backup Skylab Orbital Laboratory on display at the National Air and Space Museum.(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2008) Apollo Command and Service Modules (CSM) Apollo Command and service modules were used to ferry astronauts to the station. Three crewed missions were flown. A fourth Apollo spacecraft, CSM-119, was held in reserve for a possible rescue mission. The un-flown CSM-119 is currently on display in the Saturn 5 Center at Kennedy Space Center. Skylab 2 (CM-116) Skylab 2 Command Module on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation. Launched on 25 May 1973, astronauts Charles Conrad (Commander), Paul Weitz (Pilot) and Joseph Kerwin (Science Pilot) spent 28 days in space.

(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2007) Skylab 3 (CM-117) The Skylab 3 Command Module is on display at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Launched on 28 July 1973, astronauts Alan Bean (Commander), Jack Lousma (Pilot) and Owen Garriott (Science Pilot) spent 59 days in space. No photos yet. Skylab 4 (CM-118) Skylab 4 Command Module on display at the National Air and Space Museum. Launched on 16 November 1973, astronauts Gerald Carr (Commander), William Pogue (Pilot) and Edward Gibson (Science Pilot) spent 84 days in space. (Photos: Richard Kruse, 2008) Apollo CSM-119 Apollo Command and Service Module on display in the Saturn 5 Center at Kennedy Space Center. CSM-119 served as the Skylab rescue vehicle and ASTP backup. (Photos: Kevin Reynolds, 2000) Rockets used to Support Project Skylab The Skylab program used both Saturn V and Saturn IB rockets.

The station was launched on a two-stage version of the Saturn 5. Known as SA-513, the enormous booster successfully placed the Skylab complex into orbit. Three Saturn IB rockets (SA-206, SA-207, SA-208) were used to tranport crews to the station. A fourth Saturn IB (SA-209) was available as a rescue vehicle. Not needed during project Skylab, this booster is currently on display at Kennedy Space Center. Saturn IB (SA-209) at Kennedy Space Center This booster would have been used to launch a Skylab rescue mission if needed.(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2009) Skylab Flight Suit Edward Gibson's Skylab Flight Suit One of Edward Gibson's Skylab flight suits on display at the United States Space and Rocket Center. Gibson was the Science Pilot on Skylab 4. (Photos: Richard Kruse, 2008) Owen Garriott's Skylab Flight Jacket Skylab flight jacket worn by Astronaut Owen Garriott. Garriott spent 56 days aboard Skylab in 1973. The flight suit is currently on display at the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

(Photos: Richard Kruse, 2009) Skylab Space Station Received Official Name in 1970 Mike Wright Marshall Space Flight Center Historian In 1970 a new and official name was assigned to one of the most important projects in the 35-year history of the Marshall Center. In February 1970, NASA approved the name "Skylab" for a project that would result in America's first space station. Of course, the origins of Skylab go back further than 1970. In the mid- 1960s NASA employees focused their talents on answering President Kennedy's challenge to land a man on the moon before the end of the decade. At the Marshall Center, this meant developing the huge Saturn rockets. At the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, it meant developing the Apollo spacecraft, and at the Kennedy Space Center it meant getting ready to launch the Apollo 11 astronauts to the moon. But while progress toward a manned lunar landing moved forward in the 1960s, NASA planners were also studying the direction that NASA might take after Apollo. The studies focused on how Saturn/Apollo technology could serve as building blocks for new space objectives.

Long before President Kennedy issued his manned lunar landing challenge to the nation, space flight engineers and scientists like Wernher von Braun had dreamed of the day when humans could stay in space for extended periods of time and perform meaningful scientific experiments. During the 1960s, NASA officials like Von Braun, who served as the first Director of the Marshall Center, knew that the Apollo spacecraft would be a versatile spacecraft but that it would be designed for extremely limited manned scientific operations. NASA moved forward to accomplish the Apollo missions, but it also studied ways to build future spacecraft that could stay in space for longer periods of time and accomplish more detailed scientific objectives. The key to the planning revolved around making maximum use of Apollo technology. Such studies began in the mid-1960s under such uninspiring titles as "Extended Apollo (Apollo X)" and the "Apollo Extension System (AES)." In 1965 NASA grouped such studies under something called the "Apollo Applications Program," another name that failed at inspiration.

In reality, what NASA wanted to build after Apollo might have been called a "space station." But that term brought huge dollar signs to the minds of the nation's political leaders at a time when the United States was pouring massive expenditures into the war in Vietnam and assigning new priorities to its domestic needs. Still NASA studied its options and turned to the third stage of Marshall's Saturn V moon rocket for the answer. The stage required massive amounts of fuel when NASA used it on the Saturn V to launch the Apollo astronauts to the moon. But the extra fuel would not be required for an earth orbital mission, and the stage could be completely outfitted as an orbital workshop before launch. NASA officials knew their idea for using a Saturn rocket stage as a laboratory in space needed a name and it needed identity. Trying to call the program "Apollo Applications" just didn't work, according to Skylab historians David Compton and Charles Benson. "AAP" became the butt of frequent jokes. Opponents referred to it as "Almost a Programs' and as "Apples, Apricots and Pears." According to Compton and Benson, one editorial cartoon showed two Martians observing the AAP space station. One with a puzzled expression was telling the other.

"I don't know what the hell it is, but I think they call it AAP." NASA Administrator Thomas Paine decided to remedy the situation. At his direction, a committee considered nearly 100 names and recommended eight, four from mythology and four from American history. In reality, the committee passed over the recommendations and selected, instead, a name submitted by Lt. Col. Donald Steelman, an Air Force officer on duty with NASA in 1968. "Skylab" was a contraction for "laboratory in the Sky" and was quickly accepted within and outside of NASA. Of course, Skylab's success and place in history has rested on more than its name. The 100-ton orbital workshop was launched on May 14, 1973 aboard a Marshall-managed Saturn V. Marshall-developed Saturn IB rockets were later used to launch three different three-man crews to the Skylab space station, which served as a complete orbiting home and scientific laboratory for the nine Skylab astronauts who lived and worked in teams of three in shirtsleeve comfort.

Skylab's comprehensive program of scientific experimentation revealed unknown information about man's capability to withstand long periods of weightlessness, about the adaptability of living creatures to the space environment, and about life itself. Skylab | Define Skylab at Dictionary.com Skylab noun 1. a U.S. earth-orbiting space station that was periodically staffed by three separate crews of astronauts and remained in orbit 1973–79. Dictionary.com Unabridged British Dictionary definitions for Skylab Expand noun 1. a US space station launched in May 1973 into an orbit inclined at 50° to the equatorial plane at a mean altitude of 430 kilometres (270 miles), the astronauts working there under conditions of zero gravity. It disintegrated, unmanned, in 1979, with some parts landing in the outback of Australia Word Origin Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Word Origin and History for Skylab Expand n. name of a U.S. space program, first attested 1970, launched 1973, fell to earth 1979. From sky (n.) + lab (n.). Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Question: Launched in 1973, what was the name of the USA's first space station?
Answer: SKYLAB